Indie duo Corey R-J counts on musical chemistry

An online dating service turned up more than a girlfriend for indie singer Corey R-J: He also got a singing partner.

Boston-based singer Corey Ross-Jenkinson will be joined by keyboardist and girlfriend Kara Lia when they make their Amarillo debut at 9 p.m. Tuesday at The 806, 2812 S.W. Sixth Ave., as part of the coffee shop’s SXSWhat? Festival.

“It’s nice to be able to play with another person. I get kind of nervous when I’m up there by myself,” Ross-Jenkinson said.

Plus, the duo complement each other, he said.

“I’d say Kara’s a better singer than I am. She helps round out whatever imperfections there might be,” he said.

Corey R-J started as a solo project more than three years ago, around the time Ross-Jenkinson met Lia online while both were attending different colleges in Rhode Island.

“She pushed me to go on the road, to go to school and finish out my degree in music, so I went full throttle,” Ross-Jenkinson said.

Performing gives the frontman “a rush.”

“It gives me almost like adrenaline, you know. You never know what to expect when you show up (to a gig),” he said. “It’s always nice when you show up and a room is packed, or even if it’s just a couple of people. We don’t care what the turnout is as long as someone’s buying a CD or talks to us.

“It’s all about making connections on the road and using them to further your journey,” he said. “I love meeting new people and hearing everyone’s story about what they’ve done and where they’ve been.”

On stage, Ross-Jenkinson said he strives for Corey R-J to sound bigger than a duo, using guitar loops to add layers of sound.

“When you loop something, you almost record it live and play it back, so whatever you just played will go out on the amp or the PA, and once that gets flowing, you build on that,” Ross-Jenkinson said.